I think one of the things I'm most grateful for of the the locked tomb series is the fact that as a woman my strength is something that I can be proud of.

For context, I identify as a femme(ish) lesbian, but I'm also 5'9, not thin, and am also stronger than 90% of the boys I live with and it is something that is always brought up when new friends are brought around the house.

Ex:

"I don't know if she can lift that"

"Bro she is probably stronger than you are"

And for a really long time while I've always liked the independence that being strong has given me, especially as a woman. I also thought it took away my femininity which again, being tall and on the thicker side, is something I already struggled with.

But now, after reading the locked tomb (and in the middle of rereading it) my strength has become one of my favorite things about myself. And I actually have motivation to start working out so I can get stronger, and have the muscles to prove it. And also that even as a lesbian my idea of femininity was from that very hetero perspective of how a woman should look.

So anyways, ik Thanksgiving has already passed. Tho I don't celebrate it anyways, I'm thankful for that. The locked tomb has changed my self image drastically, and for the better I think.

Queer power dynamics, heteronormativity, and the subversion of the damsel in distress trope, as explored through my favorite queer fiction

Destin Karn and Evan Strangward from the Shattered Realms. Gideon Nav and Harrowhark Nonagesimus from the Locked Tomb. Tenjou Utena and Himemiya Anthy from Revolutionary Girl Utena. the main commonality between these three "couples" is i think complexity of queer relationships in terms of the protector/protected dynamic. Characters who want to be the protector (Destin, Gideon, Utena) despite the fact that they are not really and the people they are trying to protect (Evan, Harrow, Anthy) don’t need it in the way they’re giving it. it plays into a larger theme around the power dynamics of queer relationships that are complex to navigate. different than the gendered roles straight couples often fall into. These characters all start attempting at one dynamic but eventually realize that dynamic is not stable and will not bring them true happiness. More thoughts below.

so in each of these relationships there are a few things I see recurring. Each has a character who is more "wrong" or unconventional, has less actual power, and strives to be the protector of another character who is more powerful and "pure". All of these relationships also deconstruct that whole "purity" and "wrongness" binary throughout the narrative.

I think this binary is something that can stem partially from traditional fantasy heterosexual dynamics. The damsel in distress, the "pure" maiden and the man who rescues her. The construction of this binary also is in conversation with, or counter to, the broader narrative that queerness is "wrong" and "corrupting".

One Character's "Wrongness"

Destin believes internally that he is a monstrous person. He refers to himself as a sinner, his choices are sins no matter what he does. Externally, other characters also observe Destin as something alien. They remark on how he seems not to care for anything, and they are afraid of him and what he'll do. While many characters distrust each other, Destin is especially othered because of his position in the clandestine service and his demeanor. He is not conventional as a POV character or as a person in the Ardenine Court: this is because of a combination of his politeness, his refusal to show his true feelings, and his position as spymaster.

Gideon is first of all an unconventional cavalier. She does not have the same type of training as the others, and they can all tell this. Being from the Ninth makes her and Harrow both strange, but Harrow causes her to be estranged further when she's told to pretend to be taking a vow of silence. She is also strange in terms of who she is as a person, seeing as she's the daughter of God and Commander Wake. She is estranged on the Ninth House, she is estranged at Canaan House, she is even estranged in a different way when she becomes Kiriona, since there has never been a role for God's daughter to play before her.

Utena is very much looked down on by the teachers at Ohtori for her masculine uniform. Though she is adored by her classmates, she is definitely not like any of them. Her uniform, though it is called a boy's uniform, is different from anyone else, boys and girls. Even the student council, who have different uniforms, follow more of a pattern with each other while Utena's dark blue uniform stands out. She is a girl who wants to be a prince, which is abnormal and she's told that she will fail constantly.

The Other Character's "Purity" and Imprisonment

I need to think of a better word than purity - maybe holiness, maybe the worship or idolization of the other character? but yeah point stands and this is my post so.

There is a sense of Evan Strangward as a god-like figure. "Center of a stormborn cult" is how Evan refers to himself. He also can control the weather which is not a common ability in the Shattered Realms and so is seen as extremely powerful, maybe even godly. Yet he feels trapped by Celestine and by his own abilities. He's surrounded by people who literally want to drink his blood constantly.

Harrowhark is a literal saint. Beyond that she's also a Reverend Daughter, a leader of her own religious cult on the Ninth. She's very good at bone shit. But she, in Harrow the Ninth, is trapped by her mind and the surgery she does on herself. She's also trapped by God in her lyctorhood: she begs him to let her free, but he won't do it.

Anthy is the Rose Bride, and with her comes a promise of eternity for Utena and the other duelists. She has some shadowy amounts of power to manipulate things around her, as she does to mess with Nanami, Miki, Wakaba, and Mikage. Yet she is trapped within Ohtori by Akio and is trapped in her abusive relationship with him.

The Script is Flipped.

The dynamic portrayed in all of these relationships is a queer subversion of the typical damsel in distress fairytale. I've talked about how I think these characters fit into different roles as damsels in distress and their protectors, but now let's talk about subversion of this.

The main subversion present in these is the recognition of the autonomy of those "in distress" and the wrongness of the "protectors" being what gives them power.

This is least obvious in the Shattered Realms but bear with me here. Destin moves towards his goals throughout the series quite slowly at first. Towards the end of Deathcaster, however, he starts to lean into the fact that his actions are not ever going to be acceptable. He decides to become a traitor, to "commit his own sins". And then Destin, towards the end of Deathcaster, decides that he must be the one to go save Evan from Celestine. His last ditch effort amongst other failed efforts to save Evan from Celestine. And yet in the end Destin doesn't actually do anything. He is just there to comfort and to hold when the magemarked are finished destroying Celestine. He does not have to save Evan he's there to take him home and have a future with him. Their relationship does not have to be one of Destin saving Evan. It does not have to conform to conventional heterosexual relationship dynamics. Evan has the strength to destroy Celestine on his own or at least he has found the allies that have allowed him to have that strength. the important thing here is that love is not saving someone. Love is the future they have together when the situation is resolved and Evan has saved himself.

In Utena, Utena has the goal of saving Anthy for most of the show, because that is what will make her a prince. She does not really view Anthy as a person, rather Anthy is an object to be saved and a path to princehood. At the end of the show, Utena fails to save Anthy on her own, but Anthy is able to start to save herself. This continues in the movie where Anthy has much more autonomy and the two are eventually able to escape Ohtori for good, because Anthy has the strength to kill and dispose of Akio. (Bodily autonomy is also a major theme in Revolutionary Girl Utena, especially pertaining to abuse and how Akio takes advantage of Anthy's body both sexually and metaphorically through the swords. Utena does not know this but she does at first attempt to save Anthy from Saionji "owning" her. She realizes later that Anthy has given up on saving herself, but this changes through Utena's love for her, not Utena's savior-ness)

In The Locked Tomb, Gideon gives up her own life to save Harrow, but Harrow is not happy about this, does not want Gideon's sacrifice. She wanted Gideon to live. Bodily autonomy is a huge theme in The Locked Tomb as well. Gideon's soul is in Harrow's body, and Harrow wants to preserve it. She does not want the sacrifice Gideon gave her, she did not want to be saved. We don't know the ending of the Locked Tomb yet, so it's harder to connect all the dots here. But I can predict that if the ending involves Gideon and Harrow both living, it will involve a similar realization to that of the previous two pieces of media that I discussed.

In Conclusion... or, bringing it all together

All these characters are living under oppressive systems. Destin and Evan, the homophobia of Arden and the colonialist expansion of both Celestine's empire and Arden. Harrow and Gideon, the colonialist expansion of God and the Empire. Utena and Anthy, the transphobic and misogynistic systems of Akio and Ohtori. They all desire to break out of this system because of how these systems make their love impossible. Though we don't know about the end of The Locked Tomb, we do know the end of Utena and the Shattered Realms. Adolescence of Utena ends with the two kissing and driving into the real world, out of Ohtori and those oppressive systems through the power of being gay kissing girls and the power of Anthy realizing her own agency and saving herself, using Utena as a vehicle. Destin and Evan's story in the Shattered Realms ends with them kissing while Celestine's body burns in lava and then later making plans to leave Arden behind to live in Tarvos, a city that Evan has essentially built from the ground up to be an accepting place.

Queer love in these stories is the force that is able to subvert and break through oppressive systems, but only when the characters involved have the script flipped on them. Only when they realize that they as queer people are not meant to fit into heteronormative tropes. This is why queer assimilation is not the step forward many people think it is. The way to break free of oppressive systems of homophobia is to break free of the idea that we as gay people should fit into heteronormative ideals. We are different, we are othered. We should use that to our advantage. If one of us is being exalted, hailed as finally the "normal" one or as part of the system, that is something to be questioned and it is not something that will bring us happiness in the long run or futures as queer people.

assigning emperor john and the lyctors the character they definitely canonically play in guilty gear xx accent core +r for the playstation 3, which they hold weekly tournaments for and get really heated about. 

john - faust, obviously. there are two kinds of dad-guys who play +r: faust dads and testament dads, and he’s 100% a faust dad. 

mercymorn - dizzy. wants to play a grappler but doesn’t want to play a dude. 

augustine - johnny. he played him in xrd first but john only wants to play +r and he’s lowkey highkey salty that his character isn’t meta-defining in this one. 

gideon - ky. hey there everybody! I’m kyle! from guilt! did you know? my favorite things are: 2D into charged stun edge, stale bread, water without any ice, the newest season of The Simpsons, aaaand Dirt. See you in guilty gear strive, everybody.

cytherea - millia. she would play i-no but i-no is borderline unplayable in ggxx, and millia a) has mix and b) is good. 

alecto - picked justice after john explained all the characters to her but doesn’t fully understand what a “game” is and kind of just facerolls the controller

harrowhark - plays aba because key motifs and she relates to her looking like a wet cat. but like, john thought it would be funny if they only had skullgirls on drearburh so she’s way out of her depth (she plays squigly/band/robo)

ianthe - testament. the most prideful motherfucker on earth. you wanna win? pick a fuckin top tier. just pick em! pick- pick a top tier man. 

kiriona - john really wants her to pick up faust but she lives for full screen carded ryuujin

Heid AU: Romance from the first season

A friend (@chuishiu) and I got talking about an AU HEID: What if ...? Hotch split from Haley a few months before meeting Reid. What if Hotch never changed his personality from season one and he and Reid were attracted from the beginning?

The idea seemed very interesting to me, so I started to draw some sketches about it:

1- Gideon introduces Reid to the team.

From that moment on, Hotch would feel a strange attraction for Reid, considering him cute and Reid would also think that Hotch is quite handsome but trying very hard to hide these thoughts. Let's remember that the Spencer of the first seasons was less adept at socializing, so I imagine that the Reid "Pre-team" would speak in a very low tone - almost like whispers - he would blush a lot, he would trip over things etc. So Hotch would be the one to help him adjust - yes; at the beginning he would be the one who would protect him the most, Morgan's "big brother" attitude would take time to appear.

2- Difficult to hide the attraction ...

Hotch and Reid would strive to maintain their working relationship; but they would soon accept that it is impossible, especially in the time that Reid had to train with weapons and Hotch was his instructor. Reid tries hard not to fail in training him but can't think of anything other than Aaron. Taking into account that this is the Hotch of season one -who for me looks more relaxed and entertaining-, I think that he would not respect the rules so much and little by little he would approach Reid, even taking advantage of the training to hug him.

3- Spend time together

It is quite possible that in this AU, Reid would rather spend more time with Aaron than with Morgan or JJ - although this does not mean that they do not become friends with him - and Aaron also accepts Reid's invitations to go out.

They are aware of the "no love relationship" rule that exists at BAU but they take a risk anyway. My AU's Hotch is slightly more rebellious than the one in the show, and this AU's Reid is more dreamy, yearning to experience romance that he never could in his student years. However, these encounters can become reckless, showing affection for each other in the wrong places and times, such as lunchtime.

I fervently believe that the first to discover everything is García and that at the beginning she will suffer a lot for keeping the secret, that is; She is also aware of the "no love" rule at BAU but deep down she finds them adorable and will become her personal shipper.-LOL.

4- First night together

To be honest; I've always liked the idea of ​​clandestine / forbidden romances, so I think this would be one. BUT, I have my own details and points to clarify:

1- The romance between Hotch and Reid is secret; But not because either of them is ashamed. I have read a lot of fics in Spanish and English that deal with Hotch being embarrassed and afraid that the team will find out about his relationship with Reid, but the Hotch from this AU definitely doesn't mind hiding his feelings for him, he just doesn't want his partner to lose his I work at the BAU.

2-The Spencer of this AU is more "childish / insecure" when being with Aaron, but it is possible that on their first night together he is the most excited. He will ask Aaron to take control of everything by having more experience than him, but once he gains knowledge in bed, later he will be the one who "demands" the most to spend the nights together.

3-A Headcanon that I manage in this AU of Hotch is that he lived all kinds of relationships in his youth, but that does not mean that he is a dominant person in bed. Personally, I don't really like that Hotch is portrayed in some fics as someone who is very rude to Reid when having sex. I think he is more of a passionate person who shows the true romantic self of him in bed and therefore smiles and jokes a little only when he is with his partner. On his part; I visualize Reid as someone who loves to feel protected by Hotch but that does not mean that he cannot do anything on his behalf, on the contrary, he may be the one who best organizes everything in the relationship: times to see each other, to pass. time together, how to relax, etc. and Hotch would "obey" all because he knows it works.

So far that's all I've written and drawn, but I think I'll do more scenes where you can see how the rest of the team reacts to the relationship, how Hotch will tell Gideon face to face that he loves Reid, how they would change. various chapters of the series according to this relationship, etc.

Do you have any recommendations on what I should draw for this AU? I would like to know your opinion.

PS- I'm sorry for my poor English, but it's not my native language

Can I get a rundown of the Locked Tomb Trilogy? I know I could read a summary on Google, but like, wanna hear it from someone corporeal

*googles the definition of "corporeal"* aw shoot and this is the thing i strive against...

Yeah anyway... so far I have only read Gideon the ninth and Harrow the ninth and there might be more but im not sure whats going on cause im not entirely invested in the fandom and whenever anything new from the series conveniently appears for free i will read it.

I dunno how to summarize the series without too many spoilers + im incredibly bad at puting thoughts together..

so im just gonna say that...first and second book are VERY DIFFERENT...and there is no point in summarizing the second one really if you havent read the first...

Gideon the Ninth is about a butch sword wielding lesbian jock (Gideon), who lived her whole life cloistered on a horrible death cultist space station on some terribly moribund planet (that might or might not be ex Pluto) and would like to leave... The only other teenager on the whole planet is a 17 year old nun necromancer supreme (the reverend daughter Harrowhark) And they hate each other with passion so very very much...for REASONS.

One day Harrowhark is asked to participate in some event that might result in saving the planet from its total moribundnes moribundussness...

N its required of her to bring a bodyguard, but because stuff happened with her original bodyguard, she has to do with Gideon, who lacks any manners whatsoever.

Anyway... the event is a fun treasure hunt inside an abandoned floating city... with murder mystery peppered in for extra tension

There is like 15 or how many other participants... Both necromancers and their bodyguards from... 7? other planets.. i cant count.. just bunch of people... And nobody really knows whats the point of the whole event, but there is definitelly something fucked up going on....

.....

...

.

Oh yeah and there is some wlw stuff.. which is cool but cause i rarely pay attention to relationshippy stuff I was more interested in the whole clusterfuck of fantasy/scifi laws and worlbuilding this series has going on...

in this universe:

- Necromancer is an umbrella term for person able to shape either body or soul... With no regard to laws of physiscs as we know it.

- The more sickly n moribund the necromancer is the stronger they are... or if more death n decay happended around them... So I imagine they all look kinda sh*t.

- One thing that took some getting used to while reading was the... use of recent expressions used in memes... Which is initially weird considering the scifi setting.. but hey... we also sometimes use whole sentences from classical literature, right? :y

- I dunno whats the general idea of how the characters n settings look cause I havent really looked at the cover art nor looked much at other fanart..

But I like to imagine its all very... both baroque and goth(ic) n still very sci-fi/fantasy... combination of the aesthetics of Darksouls and Event Horizon... art of Juan Giménez, H. R. Giger and Jan Blažej Santini (the author of the ossuary in Sedlec..)..and bunch of others

wow this is quite long...

anyway its interesting read

Jace Beleren, Masculinity, and the Trans Experience

(This post is a Twitter thread I wrote in response to a Goblin Lore podcast episode called “Jace Beleren and Toxic Masculinity”.)

I feel I have a unique perspective on this topic as a trans man. Trans man Jace isn't my headcanon, but it's an interpretation I love. He's my favorite character of all time, and as a trans man, I feel like reading Jace's flaws as toxic masculinity isn't quite right.

There are several "pillars" of toxic masculinity that Jace doesn't have. He doesn't have the self-destructive emotional repression, worship of sex and violence, or desire to subjugate women and his peers that men who experience toxic masculinity have.

Even BEFORE Ixalan, Jace was an example of many positive masculine traits. He was curious and emotionally open. He wrongly believed he could make decisions for others, but he cared for people, wanted to protect them, and couldn't sit idly by when he knew people were in danger.

In Agents of Artifice, he financially provided for Kallist and Liliana, and in Magic Story invited the Gatewatch to live in his home. Jace wanted to heal Garruk, tried to stop his rampage and had a Hedron implanted in Garruk's shoulder to relieve the effects of the curse.

"I don't want to hurt you, Garruk."

"Lucky for me, I don't feel the same way."

"Garruk, this is not a fair fight. You've suffered enough. Please. Come with me."

[...]

Jace stood in thought. Garruk held him by the throat, could end his life in an eye blink, had already proven he was immune to Jace's illusions. Garruk laughed again. If Garruk was open to having friends, then Jace might have been a good one.

"You win," said Jace. "We will leave you alone. I will not seek you out. But please, if you change your mind, come find us on Ravnica. Something is still not right here. We can help you."

In "Revelation at the Eye" Jace tells Ugin that Zendikar isn't a puzzle to be solved, and that it didn't matter if killing the Eldrazi has consequences, there are real people on Zendikar fighting for their lives and he needs to help them.

"Zendikar isn't a puzzle to be solved," said Jace. "It's a place. It's somebody's home. And those people are out there, right now, fighting for their world and wondering if anybody's going to help them kill what's killing them."

He showed scenes of suffering, then—of families mourning the lost, of landscapes ravaged by Ulamog, of even the skies and seas teeming with the Eldrazi menace.

Ugin cocked his head. The hedron architecture of the chamber seemed to melt and flow, became a pattern of tessellating dragons mocking him from the walls.

"So certain," said Ugin, "and so young."

Ral Zarek tried to kill Jace and ruined his relationship with his close friend Emmara, but in "Project Lightning Bug", Jace forgives him. Jace is honest about his feelings with Ral even after Ral was openly rude to him.

"I don't remember home," Beleren said quietly, unbidden.

"What?"

"You talked about growing up in Ravnica. A lot of my memories from my childhood are gone. Chopped up in my head into a few impressions. Most of what I remember begins here, on Ravnica. I'll never have roots here the way you do, and I admit I'm off to other planes a lot. But I think of myself as Ravnican to the core, too."

In Kaladesh block he wanted Chandra to be able to confide in him, and didn't want to stay home when he heard she could be in trouble. He used his mind magic to help Nissa sleep when she had a sensory overload in the busy city.

Nissa looked up. Jace and Gideon were exchanging a look. Both glanced at her.

They stood as one.

Jace turned toward the coat room. "I'll head to Kaladesh. It should be easy for me to—"

Lavinia appeared in his path, one hand resting on the pommel her sword. "Again?" she said, in a weary, disappointed tone.

He frowned up at her. "You can't expect me to sit here and do paperwork!"

Across the streets, beyond the barricades, the Consulate's panharmonicons are still blaring "The Gremlin's Wedding March" at us on infinite repeat at double speed. They left them on all night, and after the moon set Nissa started crying, hands clamped over her ears.

[...]

Jace sat down with her. They talked a minute and his eyes flashed. She curled up in a big potted plant and didn't wake up until the sun fell on her.

But what does being a man mean to Jace Beleren? Well, take a look at his feelings towards Gideon. Jace saw Gideon as the male ideal. I think Jace admires (and is envious of) the way Gideon is a representation of positive masculinity.

Eyes widened, jaws set. They understood their task, he was certain of that. But were they actually prepared to perform it?

What would Gideon say?

Jace smiled. Of course.

"For Zendikar," he said, raising one fist in the air. It felt thin to him, lacking Gideon's armored fist, his baritone war cry, his iron conviction.

None of that mattered. The soldiers shouted as one voice, holding their weapons aloft.

"For Zendikar!"

Gideon is not violent or hypersexual. He's kind, not afraid to ask for help, a defender rather than an aggressor. The pillars of toxic masculinity are absent in both Jace and Gideon. So why does Gideon's mere presence make Jace insecure? I think that insecurity is dysphoria.

I'm only 5 feet tall. People treat me like a kid, think I need help, and certainly don't see me as a man because I'm very small. It feels bad knowing my looks don't inspire others or make them feel safe like big tall guys can.

Gideon is super tall, muscular, conventionally attractive. He's charismatic and a natural leader. Gideon's like a human lighthouse. Jace is average height, out-of-shape, often pale and sickly, and his telepathy makes people automatically distrust him.

It's easy to see why people follow Gideon's lead so easily rather than Jace's. As a trans man, I personally related to Jace's insecurity. He feels inadequate compared to Gideon.

"I'd rather stand," said Gideon.

Jace stood up. It was an error. He still had to crane his neck to look Gideon in the eye, and now the size difference between them was glaringly obvious. He hated feeling small. Hated it.

Jace wanting to lead the Gatewatch didn't come from a desire to dominate others and be an ~alpha male~, but from a desire for people to believe in him. What Jace really wants is to prove to himself and others that he's competent and that he can be trusted.

This vision appeared whenever the man was struggling at a task.

[...]

"Listen, you aren't really suited to this task. Let me handle it." The vision's voice was gruff but friendly.

It came off as condescending.

The man was annoyed.

"I can do it myself."

The hallucination sighed. "You and I both know you're not suited to this. Let me handle it, you go philosophize on the other end of the beach."

"I said I can do it myself." The man let his irritation reach his voice.

"No, you can't. I call the shots and execute, you stand to the side. That's how this works."

The man responded by throwing his hook at the hallucination. It went straight through the figure's eye and landed behind him on the sand.

The time he spends with Vraska is so good for him! I loved that [the podcasts hosts] talked about how he was finally happy to follow someone else's lead! He didn't need to be a leader, he needed someone to trust him. She respected and loved him and thought he was incredible for who he is.

Vraska looked him in the eye. "You're incredible. You know that, right?"

Jace returned her smile and felt his cheeks warming. "I do my best."

"Well, your best is incredible," Vraska said, turning toward the central tower and approaching a large gate on what appeared to be its back side.

Liliana never told Jace he was incredible.

Liliana would have scoffed. She would have made a dismissive joke, rolled her eyes, and called him a show-off. She would not bother to talk to him for days. She would consume the body of a demon with a crocodile's jaws and laugh over the sound of its flesh tearing off. She would do all sorts of things, but she would never call him incredible.

It was important for Jace to get that validation. Now he's not insecure about his appearance. It's not that he finally developed into someone who was caring. He was caring all along, but he was held back by insecurity about how others perceive him. He learned to love himself.

Despite all his good qualities and deeds he still felt insecure because it wasn't easy to visually see him as a "strong man". I think it's important to acknowledge positive masculinity even when the man in question isn't attractive or charismatic, and even if he makes mistakes.

As a trans person, Jace's experience reminded me of the struggle to "pass". It's frightening how easily insecurity can turn into toxic masculinity when you feel different from "real men". If you don't look the part, some people will just never acknowledge you.

Next to 'perfect' guys like Gideon, it's easy to see our own perceived weaknesses and shortcomings. Easy to feel resentment for it. But from this struggle comes the strive to be better men, to be confident in ourselves, and comfortable in our bodies.

There's SO much I wanted to talk about, like how Jace's trauma shaped his need for control, how the IRL gamer guys he was created to represent actually hate him, how he's a male victim of abuse by a female partner, etc but this thread is already terribly long.

TLDR; I think toxic masculinity as a reading of Jace is missing some perspective. The trans perspective. Not all insecurity men experience is toxic masculinity. Sorry I totally should have waited until part 2 was out, but I couldn't stop thinking about that episode.

There's a lack of trans men's voices in... basically everything, and this is something I think we should definitely be included in. I'm so grateful for the Vorthos community opening these kinds of discussions. Super excited for part 2 of the podcast!

if prue had met paige how would they get along and what do you think would happen? and do you think they have any similarities? I would love your full meta on this

Honestly, anon, I’ve thought about this a lot over the years and I still struggle to imagine what would’ve happened if Prue and Paige had met and what their relationship would’ve been like. There are so many possibilities and factors to take into consideration. If you ask me on another day, you might even get a different response, but here are my thoughts on this topic.

If Piper had died instead of Prue in All Hell Breaks Loose and season 4 started in the exact same way, I think Prue would’ve reacted to Paige the same way as Piper did. Recently, I’ve become more and more aware of the ways that Piper was turned into Prue 2.0 from season 4 onwards and this is what demonstrates it most for me. Piper’s reaction to losing Prue and finding Paige is exactly how I’d imagine Prue’s would be. The only difference is that Prue would’ve been worse. As the eldest sister, Prue felt it was her solemn duty to protect her sisters. She shouldered the burden of responsibility and was devoted to keeping them safe. If either one of them had died on her watch, the damage it would’ve done to her would’ve been irreparable. Prue would not have been grief stricken,  she’d feel like she’d failed, that it was her fault and she would’ve been adamant that she was going to do something to bring Piper back, no matter the cost. If that failed, she’d turn her attention to revenge. All of this would’ve made it very difficult, if not impossible, for Prue to accept Paige or even remotely open herself up to the possibility of having another sister. Prue would be enraged - at the injustice of Piper’s death, at herself for failing Piper, at Leo for not being able to heal Piper, at the Elders for not doing more and at Penny and Patty for lying to her about Paige her entire life. Her emotions would be overwhelming and because of her stubbornness, it would most likely take her longer to push past that than it did for Piper. The one thing that would bring Prue around to Paige would be her being in danger. Knowing that The Source/Shax was after Paige would make Prue determined to stop him. That’d most likely result in a transference, whereby her anger and grief became an unhealthy obsession with hunting Shax down and killing him for revenge. I could really see Prue going completely rogue like Leo in season 6 with Gideon. She would stop at nothing to avenge Piper’s death.

Prue’s resistance to Paige wouldn’t be because of Paige, it would be because of herself - because of her grief and identity crisis as the eldest sister. But I think once she started to accept Piper’s death, she would’ve gone in the complete opposite direction and embraced Paige fiercely to overcompensate for the loss of Piper. This would involve her taking Paige under her wing, being overly protective, teaching her about the craft and acknowledging that Paige was an innocent. Paige would be Prue’s second chance in a sense - a chance to be the eldest sister again and to forge an eldest-youngest sibling relationship more positive than the one she had with Phoebe. Prue’s growth and foresight from her experiences with Phoebe would allow her to be more patient and understanding regarding Paige’s recklessness and impulsivity. It would also improve her relationship with Phoebe because she’d turn to Phoebe for advice and guidance, and to keep her grounded. Phoebe would fulfil that middle sister role perfectly. I think Paige’s inferiority complex with Prue in canon would’ve transformed into her viewing Prue as a role model if Prue had survived. Prue’s natural flair and dedication to witchcraft would’ve inspired Paige and allowed her to develop her skills and powers at an even faster and greater extent than she did in canon. There’d definitely be a power struggle between them, particularly in the early days, because both of them are stubborn and independent. In the original dynamic, Prue was used to having control and making decisions for the group, but Paige wasn’t the sort of person to sit back and take orders. Overall, I think the two of them would’ve butted heads a lot and had a very rocky start, but eventually it would evolve into a beautiful dynamic. Prue would’ve taken more time to guide Paige, not just as a witch but as a person. In season 4, Paige was a lost soul. She was an orphan without a family, she was working a job that she believed in but wasn’t satisfied with and she had a lot of ‘what ifs’ and ‘maybes’ going on. Prue would’ve helped her with this. Furthermore, their similar personalities and approaches would instil them with a mutual respect and understanding, whilst their strength and dedication to witchcraft would lead them to be a powerhouse duo.

Regarding their similarities, Prue and Paige’s main similarity was their perspective on magic. They saw their duties as witches as important and they were devoted to saving innocents. Prue and Paige considered being a witch a proper job as much as any other traditional job. They always went that step further in practising or perfecting their craft, and never wished away their powers or perceived magic as a burden. They were also both incredibly strong willed and operated on their gut instincts, which were nearly always right. They had a creative streak - Paige with painting and Prue with photography - and this is something that would bond them. Prue and Paige were also the two sisters out of the four that felt the least traditional. By which I mean they never seemed as concerned with motherhood or marriage as Piper and Phoebe did. They were more driven by their careers and being a witch (and/or whitelighter in Paige’s case). I’d also say that Prue and Paige were natural leaders. Their drive, determination and skill when it came to witchcraft meant they were full of ideas and actively thrived on their work as witches. Both also had the confidence, intelligence, power and empathy to take the lead. Obviously, this is the one similarity that would’ve caused tension between them as they grappled to be the leader. However, I think it would’ve led to growth for both of them. Prue would’ve learned to let go a little more and to trust Paige to take over, and Paige would’ve learned to respect that although she had ideas and drive, Prue was the more experienced and wiser sister.

Overall, Prue and Paige are a complex dynamic to analyse because it’s all based on guess work. The fact that I feel like I know both characters quite well does help to some extent, but not enough. However, I think if you look to Piper and Paige’s relationship you’ll see almost a carbon copy of what Prue and Paige’s relationship would’ve looked like. That’s really because the sister dynamics on Charmed aren’t shaped by the characters personalities as much as they are by the sister hierarchy. Allow me to explain.

There are two main sister groupings:

1. Prue, Piper and Phoebe 2. Piper, Phoebe and Paige

Within these two groupings there are always 3 sister pairings: eldest-middle, eldest-youngest, middle-youngest. Now let’s look at the pairings that fall under these headings and compare.

Eldest-middle

Prue and Piper

Piper and Phoebe

Both dynamics are characterised by mutual love and understanding. These two pairings get on very well - their relationships are loving, affectionate and are best friends as well as sisters. The eldest has a level of responsibility and burden that comes from being the eldest, that only the middle sister can fully appreciate and understand. The middle sister is fully allied with the eldest and supportive of what they do and how they do it. This leads the eldest sister to lean on the middle sister to be in her corner and to keep her grounded. For the eldest sister, the middle sister represents consistency - somebody who will always be there. The eldest sister feels protective about the middle sister whom they feel a deep bond to and at various points the eldest sister feels she has let down the middle sister in her duty to protect her (1. Prue lets Piper down in Coyote Piper and 2. Piper lets Phoebe down in Queen of the Underworld). Overall, the eldest-middle dynamic is a plain sailing dynamic of two best friends who are extremely close and rely upon each other.

Eldest-youngest

Prue and Phoebe

Piper and Paige

Both dynamics are characterised by an initial clash of personalities and power struggle. The eldest struggles with the youngest’s recklessness and lack of responsibility. The youngest finds the eldest judgemental, mean and too serious. As a result, the eldest sister chastises the youngest sister, pushing the youngest sister further away, making her want to rebel and go off on her own. Nonetheless, despite surface level disdain, the eldest sister is fiercely protective of the youngest and the youngest seeks the eldest’s approval and respects them immensely. Tensions prevail between the two; they disagree on how to approach situations and struggle to work together without clashing. However, over time, the eldest and youngest are able to push their differences aside, empathise, develop patience and appreciate the other sister for how she is different to herself.

Middle-youngest

Piper and Phoebe

Phoebe and Paige

Similar to the eldest-middle, this relationship is one between friends. However, it operates on the basis that the middle sister understands the youngest sister where the eldest one fails. The middle sister probably finds the youngest sister’s naivety irritating at times, but mostly they find it endearing and accept them for who they are. The middle sister strives to bridge the gap between the eldest and youngest, as a result the youngest relies on the middle sister as her greatest ally. If the youngest sister is in a tight spot, she will turn to the middle sister for non-judgemental support and advice.

So you see, the sister dynamics follow this same formula no matter who happens to be in the duo. The nuances of these sister relationships do differ, but the foundation of them is rooted in these outlines which were established by Constance M. Burge when she first created the show. Therefore, Prue and Paige would fall into the eldest-youngest and have a similar dynamic to Piper and Paige or Prue and Phoebe. Although I personally believe Piper and Paige is more reflective of the relationship Prue and Paige would’ve had, particularly in the beginning.

NO SMOKING HAVING SEX IN THE PLANE

Original title: No smoking having sex in the plane.

Prompt: BAU couples play an exciting game.

Warning: none.

Genre: funny, family, romantic.

Characters: Penelope Garcia, Luke Alvez, Spencer Reid, Lila Archer, Jennifer Jareau, Will LaMontagne Jr, Emily Prentiss, Andrew Mendoza, Phil Brooks, Matt Simmons, Kristy Simmons, O.C.

Pairing: Garvez, Willifer, Prendoza, Spencer x Lila, Katt, Phil x O.C.

Note: part 85 in Garvez canon Life.

Legend: 💏👓🔦🎈.

Song mentioned: none.

GARVEZ STORIES

NO SMOKING HAVING SEX IN THE PLANE

 The hurt expression on the blond woman's face could definitely get her an Oscar prize. -Did you tell Garcia and not me?- she exclaims, incredulous, looking first at the main subject, albeit implicit, of her sentence, then her friend.

-Technically I didn't tell her, because...- Spencer tries to justify himself, but he is anticipated and silenced by another blonde, slightly younger, who really knows something about Oscar stuff.

-We met them at the science fair.- she answers in his place, running her hand along the sofa until her fingers intertwine with those of the brilliant doctor, who blushes slightly. Penelope rests her head on that of her boyfriend, trembling with joy to see her little Reid finally happy.

-Thank you.- exclaims JJ. -I thank you very much for existing, Lila.- she adds, to better underline the concept. -I have never seen anyone shut him up like this.- in her head it sounded like a funny joke, but she soon realizes that the others have misinterpreted it, because they stare at her with malicious expressions. It all started when Spencer presented himself at the Embarrassing Questions evening accompanied by a beautiful blonde who she had already seen somewhere, and precisely when poor Mendoza had asked one of the questions on the card he had picked. How long have you been together? He is her best friend, it is obvious that she was a little upset that he didn't tell her anything, but she can understand why. -What is it, what did I say wrong?- her husband touches her shoulder, shaking his head.

-Forget it, love.- another chorus of laughter spreads across the room.

-We continue to play or not?- Phil asks after a few seconds, breaking the atmosphere of playfulness and hands that, furtively, try to give caresses, to tickle. Including that of his girlfriend. -I'm falling asleep.- which doesn't lose some time to reproach him.

-I told you that you work too much.- she snorts and looks for the support of his best friend. -Luke, please tell him too.- the man called into question must force himself to focus on something other than the breast of Penelope, that is pressed against his arm. He should have gotten used to it by now, and instead... -He doesn't listen to me.- the red-haired woman who now officially joined the group, like Phil himself, is still complaining.

-It's useless, he's a stubborn.- Luke tries to explain, receiving a weak fist in his ribs in return. -Ouch!- he pretends that Penelope has hurt him and turns to his blonde, looking for help and understanding. And maybe cuddles and kisses later, kisses on the booboo. -Babe, don't you defend me?- he asks her, not at all ashamed to call her that in front of his friends, something that only a few months before was unthinkable.

-Should I defend you?- she replies with another question. Then she bursts out laughing, and exchanges an eloquent look with all the women present. -I forgot you are the weaker sex.- no man dares to protest, agreeing that in the end she's right.

Before the situation can completely degenerate, Emily, as the highest federal authority, decides to take it in her hand. -All right, let's go on.- Andrew caresses her knee for a moment, looking at her as if to thank her. She's not used to this yet. -Who did the next question ask?- then she remembers. -It's your turn, Spencer.- she says.

The youngest of the group picks a card from the deck, looks at it from one side, turns it over, and continues to stare at it, when almost everyone here knows that he doesn't really need all that time to read a few lines. -Why did I have allow myself to come here?- he mumbles, glaring at his girlfriend, who doesn't seem upset.

Emily continues to make fun of him amicably. -Is that the question I have to answer?- she asks, using a serious tone. But Spencer doesn't pay any attention, too busy assessing which of the two is the best choice.

-No, but...- he shakes his head. -They are one worse than the other. I can’t. I can't do it, I pull myself out. I give up. I surrender.- Prentiss has a flashback of another of the very rare moments where the doctor had said something similar, aboard a jet, in front of a chess-board, and to Gideon.

But Lila knows her weapons and knows how to use them. -Come on, puppy, it's just a harmless game. Do it for me.- every male present knows that surrender has been signed.

 A few questions later, Samantha has less trouble in deciding both which question to ask, and especially to whom. She points directly at Penelope, like an intelligent missile launched from a submarine. -What is the strangest place where you did it?- she asks, striving to the maximum to not smile maliciously.

Exactly as she expected, Penelope, known for having responded to a call from the former chief supervisor of the unit, Erin Strauss, with a sentence that was certainly not professional, opens her eyes, her mouth, and looks incredulously at her friend. -I'm not going to answer a question like that.- she says, crossing her arms and blushing under layers of makeup.

-Why not, Pen?- Sammie pricks her. -There is nothing wrong.- the redhead is perfectly aware that as soon as she gets the chance, the computer technician will take her revenge. She is not a girl who bears a grudge, she understood this right away, but here, it is precisely a game, and every move is allowed, within the game itself.

-We work with almost every person present.- she tries to make her think, but wherever she looks, she catches eager gazes to know her answer. -It is really too embarrassing, even for me.- she clings to Luke's hand and squeezes it, hard, until she hurts him, but he, like a strong and stoic man, doesn’t emit sound.

Emily sighs. -Have you broken any rules?- she asks her, hoping Penelope will say no.

But the friend cannot satisfy her. -In fact, yes.- really thinking about it makes her laugh.

-Was it a public place?- Matt continues the interrogation.

Luke comes to her rescue, responding in her place. -Not really.- he giggles too.

Kristy feels the lawyer in her emerge. -C' mon, surely the crime now is past the statute of limitation. No shame, right?- occupational hazard.

-Ok.- Penelope surrenders. -The strangest place we've done it, it is... on a plane.- she reveals.

-Please tell me it's not our jet.- JJ begs her. Someone else giggles.

-No, even if it's an idea to consider... I'm kidding! Maybe.- she adds.

-You were right, Em’.- Andrew whispers in the ear of the chief of the BAU. -We did well to come here instead of staying home alone.- she blushes slightly.

-But now it's getting late, and I think it's better if we go to sleep... each in their own bed.- Phil cares to specify.

---------------------------------------------------

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Thief

Summary: Gideon Ryder meets a very unusual man at a party thrown by Queen Consolidated but is he what he appears to be.

Author’s Note: Day 2: Crossovers, Fusions, and AUs – Do you have ideas for what happens when Rip meets Pikachu? Or perhaps you’ve plans for Rip hanging out with the Avengers. Alternate Universes are also welcome, from coffee shops to rock stars to ancient mythology, anything goes. Here is my little AU for today. Enjoy.                                 ********************************************* The museum was somewhere Gideon never thought of as a venue for a party, but she did love the idea. Taking a quick breath, she put a smile on her face and started inside. She had been surprised, but amused, that her possible future employers were trying to woo her to their company by inviting her to a gala. She wasn’t sure she wanted to work for them, but it was a night out.

“Miss Ryder,” Robert Queen greeted her with a smile, “Welcome. I am so happy you decided to join us tonight.”

“It’s a pleasure to be here,” she said sweetly, “I do love museums.”

“Considering what you do, I must admit I wouldn’t expect you to,” Mr Queen noted amused.

“Just because I’m good with technology does not mean I can’t appreciate the arts,” Gideon replied archly.

He laughed, “I hope you’ll continue to consider my offer while you appreciate.”

Gideon smiled back, “I am thinking it through, Mr Queen but I have several offers to consider.”

“Then in that case,” he chuckled with a twinkle in his eyes, “Think of this as a bribe in our favour.”

Giving her another smile, he motioned her inside before turning to greet his next guest.

Walking further inside Gideon admired the paintings on the walls slightly irritated that she was here alone. Originally Ray was supposed to accompany her tonight but typically his long-distance girlfriend was in town. He’d given her the puppy-dog eyes and she’d told him it was fine to see Anna instead.

Grabbing a glass of champagne, Gideon stopped to look at one of the paintings, it was a landscape and she smiled admiring the vibrant colours.

“It’s beautiful,” a voice with a Star City accent came from her side making her turn to find a man standing there, tall with green eyes, a Romanesque nose and short sandy hair, “One of my favourites in this museum, although there is another by the same artist in Central City which is similar but just doesn’t have the same feel.”

“You sound like you know a lot about art,” Gideon noted, trying to work out why he was talking to her.

He shrugged, “I’ve spent a lot of time in museums.”

Gideon nodded, about to ask his name when he spoke again.

“I’m sorry,” he apologised, “I haven’t introduced myself. My mother would be utterly horrified by my bad manners. I’m Michael Xavier.”

Taking the hand he offered, she gave him a smile, “Gideon Ryder.”

“You have a lovely accent, Miss Ryder,” he noted, “Which part of England are you from?”

She shrugged, “Basically all of it. We moved every few years with my mother’s job. And you, are you native to Star City?”

“Born and raised,” Michael nodded, “Although I travel a great deal with my job.”

“Which is?”

“I curate several travelling exhibits including this one,” he explained.

“Which is why you spend a lot of time in museums,” she laughed in realisation.

“Would you like a guided tour?” Michael asked with a charming smile.

Gideon hesitated for a moment before nodding, “I would.”

They walked through the room, Michael stopping at each painting, statue and sculpture providing information on the artist, what it meant and anything else he thought she might find interesting. Gideon found herself quite fascinated by him. It was unusual for her to meet a man who wasn’t intimidated by her intelligence, but then again, she usually only met men within her own field. She was rarely in a situation where she didn’t know much about the subject.

  Several hours passed and they continued to talk, Gideon surprised by how much she was enjoying herself when she had not expected to at all.

“I’m sorry,” Michael said suddenly, “I have to leave. It has been wonderful getting to know you, Gideon. I wish I could spend more time with you.”

Confused Gideon didn’t get a chance to say anything as he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips before he disappeared. A little stunned and confused, Gideon was jerked out of her bemusement by an alarm sounding and guards running around.

“Mr Queen?” she asked when their host appeared at her side, “What happened?”

He grimaced before sighing, “A valuable statue has been stolen. It’s part of the travelling exhibition. Mr Jones, the curator of the exhibit has asked no one leave until they’ve searched the grounds.”

“Wait?” Gideon caught his arm, “The curator is called Jones, not Xavier?”

Queen frowned, “Yes. Why?”

She shook her head, “He was possibly just trying to impress me, but a man called Michael Xavier told me he was the curator.”

The man’s frown deepened, “I know everyone who was invited tonight, and the name Michael Xavier is not on the guest list.”

Catching one of the guards, Robert Queen had him bring up the security footage. He showed it to Gideon who stared stunned that Michael had somehow managed to hide his face from every single camera.

“I am so sorry, Mr Queen,” she breathed, horrified that she had been used by this man.

He rested his hand on her arm, “You had no way to know, Miss Ryder.”

When Mr Queen left her to talk to the man who was actually in charge of the exhibit Gideon sighed, she had liked Michael.

All in all, this was a definitive sign that working for Queen Consolidated was not for her.

                                  *********************************************

  Rip Hunter, (the real(ish) name of Michael Xavier), stood in front of the other man trying to keep himself focussed. He placed the bronze statue on the desk keeping his face blank as he apprehensively watched the man standing there.

“Very well done,” Druce noted, picking the statue up and examining it closely, “Stolen at the beginning of the night, you managed to stick around for several hours and didn’t get caught on camera at all. You were always my best pupil, Rip.”

Rip grimaced before replying, in his normal London accent, “As per our deal, this is it. We’re out for good.”

Shaking his head Druce sighed, “You’re both the best I’ve ever trained. You are the bar which everyone strives for.”

“Then it’s best that we leave at the top of our game,” Rip replied coldly.

Druce shook his head, “I have a lot of jobs coming up that I could use your expertise in.”

“Pass,” Rip stated, continuing quickly “I want everything you promised us now and then you will never see either of us again.”

Opening his safe Druce brought out the money he owed them, Rip caught his breath waiting for the other man to break his promise. Thankfully the envelope was placed on the table.

“Good luck, Rip,” Druce said, “I will miss you both.”

Without another word Rip grabbed the cash and left. Climbing into his car he slammed his hands against the steering wheel in annoyance before starting to drive.

  Miranda looked up from her reading when Rip walked into the bedroom and dropped onto the bed beside her.

“Well?” she demanded.

Sliding his hand onto her large stomach, Rip nodded, “He gave me everything.”

She let out a long sigh of relief, “I admit I wasn’t sure he’d let us go.”

Rip nodded, “Neither was I.”

They lay together in silence for a while before Miranda winced as the baby kicked.

“Are you okay?” Rip asked worriedly at her yelp.

She rested her hand on his, “Of course I am. He’s just kicking me in the kidneys again. You don’t have to worry.”

Rip sighed, “Kind of hard not to worry about you.”

“I know,” she smiled at him sweetly, “Personally I want to know if you’re okay.”

“Why would I be anything else?” Rip asked confused.

Miranda gave him a smirk, “The woman you spent all night with. You liked her.”

Rip winced, “She was a good cover.”

“You kissed her, idiot,” Miranda laughed.

Sitting up confused he stared at her, “How…”

Laughing Miranda shook her head, “I hacked into the security cameras and listened in. I wasn’t letting you do that job without someone watching your back.”

Rip smiled slightly, he felt better knowing that she had been with him. He sighed as he thought back to the beautiful and brilliant woman that he’d spent the evening talking to.

“You did like her,” Miranda sympathised, wrapping her arms around one of his, “I’m sorry.”

Shrugging Rip hugged her, “Considering I just used her as a cover to steal something, not to mention I’m about to become a father. I don’t think she would be amenable to spending any time with me.”

“Hey,” Miranda cuddled against him, “We were idiots, got completely drunk and I’m now pregnant. You’re my best friend, Rip. We have been together forever and no matter what we’ll always be there for each other but that doesn’t mean we both can’t find someone.”

“There is still the issue of me using her tonight to avoid getting caught,” Rip sighed.

Miranda chuckled.

“Forget about it,” Rip said decisively, “We have all the money we need, Druce has let us go and we have a plan for our security business. From now on we look to the future.”

“The future,” Miranda agreed, miming clinking a glass making him laugh.

Hugging her tightly Rip let out a sigh, they were free from Druce and they were with one another.

No matter what, they’d face the future together.

Curse of Undoings - Part 7

I got through writing this next chapter a little sooner than originally planned but ended up making a bit of a change. I decided to save a portion that was originally supposed to go here for the next installment because I felt it took away from Emma's last line of this chapter. So, here’s a quick recap - we last left off with Killian unconscious in a dark tunnel and Henry nearly being caught stealing the snow globe. How long do you think both will go unnoticed? (if you said not long, you might be right...)  

No major trigger warnings apply to this chapter although there are a few mentions of Killian’s lingering injuries.  Fear not, my whump loving friends, there’s plenty more pain to come...  @killian-whump , @hookaroo and @castielamigos - you will all enjoy the next few chapters!

Catch up on AO3 or FF,net or here: Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5  Part 6

Anxiety was beginning to work it's way into Henry's psyche as he made his way to the mine entrance. From here, the tunnel's opening was only about another fifty yards to the left. From this side, it didn't look like much, merely a dark recess in a wall of slate and sandstone where the trickle of an underground stream broke the surface before continuing on its meandering path to empty into the lake. Henry had often wondered if any of the dwarfs who'd spent so much time down in these damp, shadowy mines had ever been curious enough to follow that little stream to its origin, but maybe they'd lacked his drive to explore. Right now, it was probably for the best that the tunnel remained his secret space.

Just beyond the point where that trickle of water vanished into the rock lay a crevice that was so obscured, a person could easily walk right past it if they weren't sure where to look. It was a bit of a tight squeeze to get inside, but once through to the other side, it widened into a tunnel that, by all appearances, looked chiseled out by an unknown hand. Henry obviously knew that wasn't the case as the passageway must have been created along with the rest of the town through Regina's dark curse. But whatever the history, it was irrelevant today as all Henry cared about was getting back to Killian.

Using the flashlight setting on his phone to guide his way through the pitch black, he hurried through the tunnel as quickly as he could manage safely. He'd been gone less than twenty minutes, but if Killian's bleeding hadn't slowed, he feared he might be returning to find a corpse.

No. No, he scolded himself for even harboring such thoughts. Killian had to be alive or the Black Fairy would have succeeded in wiping out their stories by now. Captain Hook was a survivor and now more than ever, Henry needed that statement to be true. As he came around the last bend, he could see the faint glow of the flashlight he'd left for Killian, thankful that the batteries hadn't given out. Getting closer, it didn't appear that Killian had moved at all, which likely meant that he hadn't regained consciousness. Ultimately though, both of them ended up being startled as Killian stirred at the crunch of gravel beneath Henry's feet.

"It's just me, Killian," Henry assured the wary pirate as he moved closer, shining the light onto his face so Killian could recognize him. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get back here, but I needed to go pick up a few things."

"What things...? Why did you leave?" Killian demanded. "I was worried you'd been captured."

"You were unconscious when I left and really, I didn't mean to be gone so long but I was forced to take a detour." He shrugged the backpack off of his shoulders as he switched off the cell phone light, needing to conserve battery power. "I went to get my backpack so we'd have some water and some snacks too. I know you were really thirsty earlier, especially after having that gag in your mouth. Are you hungry at all?"

Henry unzipped his pack and shoved his free hand inside, digging around until he located the still sealed bottle of spring water which he yanked out along with a fistful of snacks, offering all of his treasures to his stepfather. Killian grimaced while struggling to push himself back into a more upright position, the flayed skin and muscle of his back threatening to tear open anew with even the slightest movement. A trembling arm nearly gave out as he shifted his weight to his right side, finally wrangling his unwilling limbs enough to sit before reaching for the bottle. Henry twisted off the cap and then passed it to Killian who gulped down nearly a third of the precious liquid before pausing for a breath.

"Thank you, lad. That was much needed, but no, I'm not really hungry. Not entirely certain I could keep anything down at this moment either." Killian handed the bottle back to Henry who replaced the cap, saving the rest for later. "You took a huge risk by going after all of this."

"It's fine. I knew what I was doing and I was careful. We're safe here, for now at least but we really need to get you some help and we need to figure out how to free my family from this thing…" Henry withdrew another object from his backpack and held it up proudly – the snow globe that he'd procured from Fiona's bookshelf, garnering both pride and a glint of horror from Killian as he recognized the prize Henry was clutching.

"Henry – where do you get that?"

"From Fiona's office. When you said Fiona showed you a snow globe and said she'd trapped our family inside, I remembered that she'd been grinning at something on her bookshelf. I found this snow globe on that shelf so this has to be the one. Is this the one she showed you?"

Weakened by constant pain and the lingering effects of too much blood lost, Killian's senses weren't acute enough to be entirely certain, but even in the minimal light provided by the flashlight, it looked like the same object that Fiona had flaunted before him earlier. "I believe it is the same one, but I'm afraid I'm not fully certain." Killian exhaled a deep sigh, knowing that Fiona would absolutely have all of her henchmen mobilized the moment she discovered the globe was missing.

Henry could see the flicker of trepidation in Killian's eyes which had him immediately second-guessing his hasty actions. "What's wrong? Was I wrong to take the snow globe?"

"No, Henry, you weren't wrong to take it. We do need to have that trinket in our possession if we're to devise a way to free Regina, your grandparents and all of the others trapped in limbo inside that thing, but it also puts us in greater danger."

"I guess it's a risk worth taking. We have to save them. Look…" Henry reached inside his backpack one more time to retrieve the storybook, flipping it open to one of the pages detailing a scene from his grandparents' story – the image of their famously interrupted wedding. He picked up the flashlight and directed the beam onto the page so Killian could see for himself the deterioration that Henry had been witnessing all day. Portions of the intricate text were missing and nearly half of the accompanying image had faded away from the yellowing paper. "Nearly all of the pictures are like this – half of it already vanished since this morning. We're running out of time!"

"I know…" Killian replied, hoping that Henry hadn't noticed his face contorting with yet another wave of agonizing pain shook him. "But who can we trust to help us break the curse?"

"I have an idea of one person who could help us, but you're not gonna like it…"

The crocodile.

Henry wanted to trust the bloody crocodile?

Had the lad gone daft or had he simply lost so much blood that now he was now hallucinating this whole conversation?

"Perhaps we should rethink this, lad…" Killian suggested as he grasped the teen's extended hand and accepted Henry's assistance with getting back on his feet. Every inch of his back seared with the exertion but he was moderately thankful that at least his punctured left shoulder wasn't throbbing as much as before and it seemed that the bleeding had subsided – at least the external bleeding. He wasn't foolish enough to believe a wound that deep had ceased entirely.

"I don't know of anyone else we can turn to," Henry reminded him as he let go of Killian's hand once the pirate was standing on his own accord. He gathered his backpack and slung it onto his shoulders, getting it up and out of the way so he could aid Killian. "I overheard Fiona mention his name while I was spying on her office earlier. I'm pretty sure that it was actually him that she was talking to even though I could only hear her side of the conversation. It definitely sounded like the person she was talking to wasn't affected by the curse either and as far as I had known, only Fiona, Gideon and myself had been spared the memory-altering curse. Since we know that Rumplestiltskin was able to retain his memories under Regina's dark curse by using Mom's name as a trigger, it seems pretty likely that he'd come through his mother's curse unscathed as well. There have to be some perks for being the Dark One after all…"

"You forget that your mother managed to alter my memories with the dark curse that brought us back from Camelot so your theory isn't without flaw. What makes you think that he'd even raise a finger to help us? I'm not particularly one of his favorite persons…"

"Because this is his story too," Henry stated confidently. "If Fiona intends to rewrite everything, Rumplestiltskin's story disappears as well. You've known him for centuries so you definitely know that self-preservation is a huge motivator."

"You do have a point there," Killian agreed as he fought to control his quivering legs, striving to maintain his tenuous balance. It was still a long walk into town and they would have to take great care not to be seen. They'd be safe until they departed the tunnel and ventured into the mine. It wasn't highly likely that they'd encounter someone in the mine, but they had to be cautious. From then on, they'd be exposed so Henry would need to scout ahead at each turn to ensure safe passage to the pawn shop. By now, Emma had undoubtedly discovered that Killian was missing and it wouldn't take long for her to reach the conclusion that Henry had been the one who helped her prisoner escape. She'd have the entire town hunting them both so there would be few havens in which to take refuge. Of course, who would ever suspect that they'd have the audacity to turn to Captain Hook's oldest nemesis for assistance?

They'd find out soon enough.

"How the hell does a prisoner chained to a metal table in a locked cell manage to escape?!" Emma demanded, glaring fervently at her now wide awake prison guard who cowered before her, head hung low as he shivered in the cold basement.

He had no answer for the Sheriff. He only remembered getting sleepy, then waking to find himself wearing only his leopard print boxer shorts and seeing two of the prison cell doors standing wide open. He'd called the Sheriff immediately, reluctantly confessing his transgression that had apparently given a dangerous prisoner a window to escape and he fully expected to have her wrath rained down upon him.

"And how the hell did you manage to sleep through it all?" Emma continued to berate the hapless guard.

"I'm sorry, Sheriff," the guard replied, unable to make eye contact with her as he fully expected to be fired here on the spot. "I really don't know what happened…"

Gideon poked his head into the corridor at that moment, interrupting his colleague's apology as the deputy exited the cell that had previously held a wounded, shackled Killian Jones - who had somehow managed to escape without being seen or heard. "Sorry to interrupt, Sheriff, but I've gone through everything in the cell and I'm afraid that there's nothing here to indicate how the prisoner escaped."

"Damn, he must have had help then. Who here in town might still be loyal to him?" Emma inquired as she momentarily redirected her ire away from the half-naked guard.

"As far as I'm aware, none of his known accomplices have been seen in the area," Gideon responded. "I thoroughly searched his ship after he was captured, but found no indication anyone but Hook had been onboard."

"Well then, get a search party together and start searching! Round up everyone who might have ever been a member of his crew and find that son of a bitch!"

"Yes, Sheriff. I'll call in as many of the reserves as I can locate. What about him?" Gideon gestured towards the unclothed guard.

Emma spun around to unleash her fury upon the guard once again. "Go home. Get dressed and get out there with the search party!" she ordered. "We'll discuss your punishment as soon as Hook is found and dragged back here. Anyone caught helping the prisoner is to be arrested immediately!"

The guard took a fleeting glance down at his bare legs and torso, wanting to ask if he could have something to cover himself with, but he didn't dare ask. Still avoiding eye contact with her, he squeaked out a weak "Yes, Sheriff," as she dismissed him and sent him scurrying up the stairs in his flashy boxers. Public humiliation would be but the first part of his penalty for sleeping on the job.

"We'll find him," Gideon stated with an almost overconfident assurance. "There's no way he could have gotten too far in his condition."

"I suppose that depends on how much assistance he had," Emma countered, letting out a frustrated sigh. "It's bad enough that my kid disobeyed me and didn't go home like he was supposed to and now, on top of that, I have to contend with an escaped murderer because the guard I trusted couldn't keep himself awake!"

"How do you know that Henry didn't go home?" Gideon wondered.

"Your grandmother, Her Honor, the Mayor, ran into him over by the church a little while ago. He told her that he was going to the library…" Emma froze mid-sentence as a horrifying thought popped into her already stressed brain, causing her jaw to go slack. "You don't think…?"

Gideon picked up on what she was thinking and completed her sentence: "That Henry might have been involved somehow?"

"He's been acting weird all day," Emma explained as she massaged her temple absentmindedly, thinking about their disagreement earlier that morning. "In his damaged mind, he doesn't believe that his grandparents are really dead and even tried to convince me that Hook wasn't a killer. How would he have gotten in here though? He's just a kid…"

"So, should we be looking for Henry too?" Gideon asked, already planning to hunt down the boy, but waiting for Emma to give the word.

"Yes," Emma relented. "I've got a bad feeling that wherever we find Henry, we'll find that scoundrel too. No harm is to come to my son though. If you locate him, bring him in, but I will deal with him myself. I am his mother after all."

"What about Hook?"

"Whatever it takes," Emma told him, setting her jaw firmly while her eyes grew darker with building rage as she stared at the open door to her torture chamber. "But the final blow is going to be mine."

AEOLAD: Character Profiles: Aveya

So, this is my first post of many regarding my character profiles for my current WIP, “An Empire of Lust and Deceit”. If you haven’t read it yet, here’s the link. And how better to start this off than with my leading lady herself?

A couple of things I would like to point out:

Every character profile will look different, this could be due to a variety of things of course, but if it seems like pieces of information are missing... it’s cause it’s integral to the plot and I don’t wanna spoil it for anyone.

(I got the outline from here)

Anyways, here we go:

The Basics

Nickname: Aveya

Age: 28 years old (human)

Nationality: Astryan, Empire of Isles

Place of Birth: Skirion

Current Residence (aka Ch. 1): Astrya, Empire of Isles

Religion: Old Aionistic

Occupation: Assistant/Waitress

Height: 5′8″ (human form); 7′6″ (Kenran form)

Weight: 175 lbs (human); 280 lbs (Kenran)

Race: Mixed -- Kenran/Unknown/Siren/Sorcerer/Shapeshifter

Eye Color: Light Brown (human); Amber/Gold (Kenran)

Hair Color: Dark Brown (human); Violet (Kenran)

Skin Color: Caramel (human); Azure (Kenran)

Shape of Face: Diamond

Distinguishing Features: Tattoos on arms and hands

Intellectual/Mental/Personality Attributes and Attitudes

Greatest Flaw: Her temper

Best quality: Her determination

Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree?

Intelligence Level: Well her parents were each geniuses in their own ways, so that got passed down

Any Mental Illnesses? I wanna say she has anxiety and depression definitely. I’m not well-versed on all of them, but I wanna say that based on how her character arc goes, she probably has more than that

Short-Term Goals: Keep Ares from being killed

Long-Term Goals: Never have her past brought back to light

How does she view herself? She recognizes that she is a flawed person and she tries as hard as she can to improve, but she sometimes doesn’t feel that she is worth most of the attention she gets

How does she believe she is perceived by others? She feels that sometimes they speak to her so much out of pity because they believe she is a lost cause

How self-confident is she? She is extremely confident in her looks (after all, she is part Siren), but she 

Does Aveya seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combo? A combination. Usually Aveya is ruled by logic, up until she reaches a certain emotional point where it is then that everything is simply on an emotional basis, with logic riding in the back seat.

What would most embarrass her? I feel like Aveya has really reached a point where she doesn’t get embarassed by anything anymore.

Emotional Characteristics

Strengths/Weaknesses

Social Intelligence, Curiosity, Fairness, Spirituality, Manipulative, Dishonest, Irritable, Self-Disciplined, Unforgiving

Introvert

How does Aveya deal with anger?

Well, she used to take on a more... physical approach, but now she will take time to meditate. Of course, it’s not something that happens a lot when this story takes palce, which is why I mention her temper so often, because it plays a key role for the story

With sadness?

Usually she sticks to herself for this, goes over her thoughts, cheers herself up

With conflict?

Now, she tries to diffuse it before it can become a conflict conflcit, but once it does, she can be quite coldhearted in how she gets rid of it

With change?

She accepts change and believes it is healthy to experience it once in a while

With loss?

She’s quite used to loss. After she loses someone, she grows more attached to who remains because their mortality becomes more apparent to her

What does she want out of life?

She usually jokes to Indigo that all she wants in the end is a husband, five children, a bookstore, a cat and a dog. So, to sum it all up, she just wants a healthy and peaceful life.

What would she like to change in her life?

She would want to change her past

What motivates her?

To gain control

What frightens her?

I actually did an ask about this not too long ago.

So, Aveya fears to lose Ares permanently. He’s the one person left remaining that she truly loves, and if she loses him, she essentially loses everything.

She also fears that she will revert back to her troublesome ways.

And finally, her biggest fear is that she will become like her father.

Is she judgemental of others?

Yes, though she tries not to be

Generous or stingy?

Depends on the person

Polite or rude?

Also depends on the person

Spiritual Characteristics

Does she believe in a God/Gods? Yes, she believes in the twelve Cardinal Gods (I’m considering making a separate summary series for them if anyone is interested).

What are the character’s spiritual beliefs? 

Is religion or spirituality a part of this character’s life? Yes, very much so.

If so, what role does it play? The tattoos that are all over Aveya’s arms? They’re called Marks, and they identify her as a Priestess. In fact, she was this close to being the High Priestess, and even has the Markings and such. Those from her homeland will regard her as such, but she does not consider herself having earned the title yet since she never found out which God/Goddess she represented. Her religion is the one constant remaining from her past, and she relies on it when she has nothing else.

How the Character is Involved in the Story

Relationships with other characters:

Aashi Bea -- Enemies; they are together in the Top 3 towards the end of the Praelium

Abeo -- They mutually respect each other. It’s an odd relationship since Abeo is the Crown Prince that the winner of the Praelium will be ‘forced’ to marry.

Ammon/Oba -- A one-night hook up that possibly leads to the most awkward situation as Oba is Abeo’s younger brother and Aveya could potentially be married to Abeo if she wins

Ares -- Their relationship is atypical. It is explored often throughout the novel, but the main way to take away from it is that they protect each other from their vices.

Lord Callahan -- While Aveya doesn’t meet with Lord Callahan a lot, but the two are on opposing sides if you will

Lady Callahan -- Same goes for Lady Callahan, though you guys will get to see her open distaste for Aveya’s existence

High Priest Daimon -- They clash quite frequently due to Aveya’s spiritual uprbinging (she is Old Aionistic and he is New Aionistic). He will always express dismay over her Markings and cause quite a few troubles for her later on.

Gideon Wren -- Ah yes. Gideon Wren and Aveya are, as you know, the OTP to most of the characters in this novel. They call each other out on their shit and have a pact to never lie to one another

Admiral Hewitt -- Aveya does not very often come into direct contact with Admiral Hewitt. To her, he is a respectable enough fella, so they are amicable when around each other

Indigo -- Indigo is similar enough to a sister to Aveya. Their relationship primarily rests on the bond two females share when they live in a house filled with males.

Isolde -- Another competitor of Aveya’s  

Lyra -- The third person comprising the Final Three in the Praelium, but she is more of an ally to Aveya

Neri -- Despite the situation that has to do with Neri’s two brothers (Abeo and Oba), these two are very close and Neri acts as a guide for Aveya through surviving the life of court.

The Outlander -- Can’t go into too much detail about their relationship, but I will say that the Outlander leads to Aveya questioning her spiritual beliefs many many times

Rainor Somos -- They are a bit more distant than the other housemates, but they have a really good friendship

Lord Wren -- Lord Wren is very supportive of Aveya due to the feelings his son has for her

Lady Wren -- There’s lots of tension between these two as Lady Wren is under the belief that Aveya is tearing her family apart

Empress Yana -- When these two meet, the Empress believes there is some good in Aveya, and strives to make it more well known throughout the Praelium

Zuri -- At first acting as an advisor, Zuri quickly develops feelings for Aveya, though they are not at all mutual

How Aveya is different at the end of the novel from when the novel began

Now, I am very very very far away from finishing this novel (I’m pretty sure I have over 42 chapters in my outline rn and some more keep popping up as I move along), but Aveya’s character is the one I am most certain about. You guys are gonna love her, you’re going to root for her, but I want it known now that she will not maintain the innocence she has strived so hard to regain, by any means. In fact, I’m pretty sure that she not only has the most dramatic character arc, but I’m pretty sure she won’t resemble this profile at all after the novel ends.

Additional Notes on This Character

(Pulling these from previous asks as they come in)

So, this is the current Character Profile for Aveya. I will be editing it as time goes on to accommodate any asks which lend more information to her character, and as I post more chapters, I will post spoiler warnings for the novel. Thank you guys if you’ve read this far, and if you have a preference for the next character you would like to see, just let me know.

I don't know what verse it is but I think it's ff7 what kind of dad is Nile?

An anxious one.

So I think, though anyone is welcome to correct me if I’m wrong, Nile only lives/is a dad in one of Marie’s vii verses, though I thiiink I’m going to stick him in (dead, but was a dad for a time) somewhere else too. I think.

Anyway.

Nile is a great dad. He’s definitely the dad that thinks he’s way cooler than he actually is and though the kids don’t notice when they’re little (wayyyy too excited about showing him all the cool things they learned/drew), as they grow, they definitely find him embarrassing.

True to canon, his family is his greatest accomplishment and he puts them first as much as he can. Also true to canon he works a lot, but being in politics here instead of the military, can find his way to be at home when the girls (and Gideon) all demand it. (though on more than one occasion he’s stayed in Midgar to work while his family vacations at the villa in Costa. Marie is not happy. He hears about it later.)

He’s accomplished in academics (and their family is among the elites) so even though he’s a little less strict than his dad was with him, he places a lot of value on education and isn’t afraid to display his displeasure when he finds them not striving to do and be their best. He does, sometimes, forget they are just kids. He also sometimes forgets that times change and it isn’t “like it was when dad was young”. 

Being a father of four girls, he makes a point of setting an example of how a man should treat a woman within his own marriage. Though he denies it until it happens, he does know that his daughters will eventually grow up and leave the nest and he wants to make sure he’s done his best to keep them from any riffraff and for them to have high expectations of gentlemen. 

As I said before though, he is super anxious (having f o u r d a u g h t e r s) and is that dad that is always checking in on the kids when they’ve gotten a sitter, always nagging them about their schoolwork and their friends, always asking Marie if she ‘thinks it’s a good idea’ (it usually isn’t but if she thinks it is he’ll back off and monitor things nervously).

He is particularly uncomfortable when Marie gets Meia ( @exxciineriibus ) to look after them, being a SOLDIER and all (especially with the Dawk family’s uh, not-so-friendly relationship to ShinRa) but he trusts his wife and his wife trusts Meia. 

He greys really quickly, is all.

When it all comes down to it he’s really just a normal, good dad. He has his shortcomings for sure: his overprotectiveness (particularly when Rufus says something nasty about the girls), trying to force his family’s view of ShinRa onto his children, and...being a trust fund baby, he can most definitely be kinda petulant when things don’t go his way. But still, he’s doing his best and his failures, though failures they may be, always come from good intentions even if the good intentions aren’t the right choice.

@bace-jeleren

Whoops, I accidentally wrote a little one shot for this ^^;

[ Archive of our Own • Commissions • Art ]

”I just don’t know how to live here… In the tenth…” Nissa was nervous. Speaking about something that was personal and uncomfortable felt unnatural. She forced down a sip of tea to take her mind off of what she was doing.

Regardless her feelings of Liliana, the advice the older planeswalker had dispensed was proving to be invaluable. It was hard, but she forced herself to talk about things she felt inclined to bottle up with people she trusted. Emmara had become one of those people.

They’d met on a chance encounter when Nissa had been searching for nature desperately in Ravnica’s cold cityscape. She’d happened upon a Grove of the Conclave, where a certain elf had been devoutly tending to the Garden of Life. That sat in that very grove now, and Nissa felt the need to push herself to grow much like the plants around her. She more confidently stated,“ I can’t understand life here, how others live.”

“There’s more to life than just living,” Emmara responded sagely.

Nissa gave Emmara a puzzled look and pulled away slightly. That she was pulling away at all was odd. She had become so close Emmara in such a short time, she found herself able to curl up beside her, in the midst of elementals they called to tidy the grove. The closeness was strange—but it also reminded her of Ashaya.

Emmara too was wise and silently powerful. Her shoulders often squared with pride, not aggression, and yet Nissa could see the strength the waif form held. When she spoke, Nissa could hear the wisdom her words held and the experience they were burdened with and exalted by.

“You need to find what gives your life meaning. For me, it’s order. By growing the plants I look after in a row, I provide each one equal nutrients and care. Order brings peace to the living.”

Nissa listened to all Emmara had to say before considering her own response. She mulled over for the perfect words, which usually caused her anxiety since people tended to get impatient with her. Emmara didn’t though, she was happy to wait and hear Nissa’s completed thought. Maybe it was an elf thing; she hung out with mostly humans these days.

“Sometimes I can’t see the order around me—it makes me uncomfortable because I don’t understand. I want to… To understand, that is. Perhaps if I did, I could be comfortable even when I’m not the same. I wouldn’t be afraid if I understood.”

Emmara nodded then said softly,“ Order acknowledges that we’re all the same, but that personal experiences are unique. All life should be cherished, even if we could not live as another does. I think you understand more than you believe you do.”

“There was a time I definitely did not,” Nissa said, a bit of regret curling her lips. She pressed back against Emmara once more and took a sip of her tea. She was embarrassed admitting it, her cheeks and ears burning slightly, but she pulled through and said,“ I think I was very close minded. Even before… I traveled alone for a very long time… I kept to myself. I listened to what my people told me to believe, and felt shame for being different, thought less of people who were even more different than myself.

"It wasn’t until great strife afflicted us all that I began to realize I’m not so different from humans, merfolk, ko—” Nissa’s tongue tripped as her brain frantically began to search for another race Zendikar and Ravnica shared. “Krokt-damned vampires even.”

Nissa’s mouth was certainly never as foul as Chandra’s and she didn’t like to take names in vain, but she was pretty sure she’d heard Jace and Gideon throw that name around and it covered her slip up.

She bit her lip as she played back her words to herself. She was grateful Emmara gave her the time to do this, to figure out what she liked and didn’t like about how she spoke and presented herself. Having time to analyze what she said helped her reflect on how she could improve in the future. Talking this much made her throat sore as it was, thus the tea Emmara always offered.

“Still, I am judgemental,” she lamented.

“Breaking habits comes with time,” Emmara said with a small smile. “It’s a daily struggle, in fact. And it will be for life.”

“I’m starting to see that,” Nissa sighed, her ear drooping slightly.

“But I think you’re on a beautiful journey. One of self discovery. Follow it, let it take you new places.”

Nissa regarded Emmara ruefully, thinking wryly if only Emmara knew Nissa’s secret and how right she was. Nissa had been to new places already on this journey, and she was sure she would be going new places very soon again. It pulled at her heart oddly as she thought how Emmara was another she would have to leave behind as she lived her life. Like Ashaya, who could not be replaced by the elementals she rose here.

“Thank you, Emmara. These chats… they help me find peace, discover…” Nissa shook her head, feeling silly. She wasn’t sure if ‘chats’ was the right word—it felt more important than that, but Chandra had jokingly told Nissa her use of the word 'dialogues’ was too… stiff… the other day, and Nissa didn’t want to come off as distant to Emmara—and she couldn’t find a way to properly convey, you help me discover how I feel, how I want to feel, and how to find the balance in between.

“I’m glad you discovered this grove,” Emmara said graciously, covering Nissa’s awkward trailing off that only made the planeswalker more nervous as the awkward silence threatened to spread.

“M-me too,” Nissa said, in a rare moment of speaking faster than she could think and tripping over her words.

“And I am glad anytime you come to talk with me.” Emmara suddenly seemed a little more demure than she had so far into the evening. “When you’re not here, I think of you. I really enjoy your company, especially on quiet nights like these. Whether we talk or merely meditate… I want you to know it helps me find peace as well.”

Emmara spoke clearly for Nissa’s benefit, striving not to beat around the bush and cause confusion. She also spoke for her own benefit though. The thought that Nissa may come around more often excited her, made her feel a sense of stability and warmth she missed.

She still grieved Calomir’s death, as she could only assume she always would, and once she would have been able to rely on her friend, Jace, for support, but he had become distant. She saw him at Guildmeets, but it was on official business only. Emmara was so lonely these days, and after how she was abandoned by her guild during the Implicit maze, it was hard to rely on them for support.

Nissa stared into Emmara’s milky eyes, deciphering the expression of pain that slowly took residence. “You… are as lonely as I am,” Nissa concluded, frowning as Emmara nodded as confirmation. Handing off her her cup of tea to a nearby vine, Nissa hesitantly placed a hand on Emmara’s knee like she’d seen the others in the Gatewatch reassuringly grab each other’s shoulders and hands.

“You needn’t be any longer,” Nissa boldly decided, then continued,“ I may have to leave for my work occasionally, but I will always come back, if you would have me.”

Emmara’s gaze dropped to the hand on her knee as she readjusted her grip on her tea. Her own hand, warm from gripping the mug of tea, gently alighted on Nissa’s. Squeezing softly, Emmara earnestly said,“ You’re always welcome here. I would like that very much.”

You did answer my Gideon/Reid/Rossi question, thanks! I agree with the points you made, and it definitely makes sense. His idolization of Gideon reminds me a bit of the "they can do no wrong/they know everything" mindset young children have about their parents. Which Reid didn't really get to have with his own parents, so projecting it onto Gideon -the Ultimate Protector- would be easy to do. Especially for fresh out schooling/training Reid. That's a rough transition, and he was quite alone.

yeah reid was so young when he started at the BAU. he spends a few of the early seasons being younger than /i/ am which is. wild to think about. despite all the shit he suffered, he was still pretty guileless and optimistic about his job at the beginning. he never got to have a healthy relationship with either of his parents, and he was always looking for one, but he didn’t know what it looked like, he just wanted a parent that’s good

he’s the Kid of the group. everyone else is older than him and watches out for him to a certain extent. and then there’s gideon. a BAU legend. a founder of the BAU. he’s been a member of the BAU as long as or longer than reid’s been alive. he’s been so successful and he commands such respect from his coworkers. of course reid’s going to be in awe. to a lot of people, gideon does look like someone who has it all together wrt the job (reid’s not the only one who has an issue with idolizing gideon which i think gideon suffers for)

and gideon sees reid, how smart he is, how impressionable he is, how young he is, and sees a lot of himself in reid and knows how messed up a kid like that can get from all the fucked up things in the world–and he steps in to take reid under his wing (again not necessarily a bad thing). reid is someone he really wants to protect and nurture. he treats reid very gently, always nudging, never saying his advice outright, wanting reid to figure things out for himself

he treats reid special and the result is.. predictable. reid, starving for a good parental figure, a father figure, has this inspiring, intelligent man taking special consideration for him, and damn if this isn’t everything he thinks he’s been looking for! he hangs on to gideon’s every word, can’t even fathom that gideon might be wrong (if it seems gideon’s wrong it must be reid or someone else who’s really wrong), he’s afraid to argue with gideon or disobey for fear of losing gideon

(that’s one of reid’s big things, constantly worrying about being abandoned. when gideon left, reid agonized about what HE could have done differently. whenever someone leaves him, whether through choice or cirscumstance, reid is always always afraid that’s something he did, that it’s his fault)

reid is very much a child during his interactions with gideon. i always got that impression, that he was very young when he was with gideon. he sort of reverts back the child he never really got to be with his own parents. with hotch and rossi, he’s younger than them but he’s still an adult with agency; they may be superior to him through title or experience, but he doesn’t idolize them and they don’t treat him like a special project. reid was always a student with gideon, but he gets to just be himself with rossi and hotch

i think gideon leaving, while painful for reid, was the best thing for him (not gideon’s death, i’m still ugh about that). but with reid striving so hard to be perfect for gideon, who he viewed a father without peer, while gideon viewed reid as a protege to protect and mold in his image (even with his best intentions) was not a relationship that was destined to last, and it limited and stifled reid in a lot of ways, and i think he’s grown a lot and flourished better with rossi and hotch

personally, i don’t care very much for gideon. personally, there are so many things i wish he’d done better for reid. but their relationship was complex and frought with emotional tension and very compelling and makes me feel a lot of things, and even though i personally enjoy watching reid and rossi more (and reid and hotch), the reid-gideon dynamic made for some damn good drama

Good News and Bad News-Selah23-CMAW091

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Good News and Bad News -Start with bad news, if our heart isn't totally committed to Jesus Christ in a relationship vs. a religious spirit, we're a not a true follower of Jesus, anything less than total surrender to Jesus doesn't cut it, we understand this type of commitent is a necesary part of a marriage, God shows us how He wants our relationship to have that same, even higher commitmment, In Eph 5:25-33 he compares those 2 relationships, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might [g]sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, [h]of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband" -Eph 5:25-33, "For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God" Exodus 20:5, In Revelation Jesus talks to John about 7 churches.  All of these churches did good things, but Jesus rebuked or corrected all of them, except 2, Smyrna called the Persecuted Church and Philadelphia called the Spiritual alive church, The Laodicean church called the Luke Warm church Jesus said he would spit them out of His mouth, in Matthew 5:28 Jesus says "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." in this and other passages he shows that it's not enough to keep the Laws or commandments in terms of your actions you have to guard your heart and take captive all your thoughts to the obedience of Christ, the Psalmist understood this in Ps 139:22-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting." 1 Samuel 16:7 says "For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  Jesus blasted the Pharisees for having good outward appearance while neglecting matters of the heart, Matthew 23:27 Jesus said "“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness",   Rom 8:6 "For to be [b]carnally minded is death" vs 7 says "Because the [c]carnal mind is enmity against God", notice Paul talks about our mind not what we do with our hands and mouth, my Pastor says a good way to think about our sin is 3 words: doing, thinking, saying, my pastor also spoke recently about racism that we've made great strides as a country at politically correct, i.e. we've gotten good at not doing and saying certain things when it comes to race, but being PC doesn't change the heart, I'll personally testify that doing the "right" things in marriage but having an angry, judgmental, non-loving and non-compassionate heart will lead to strife, bitterness, and pain, when it comes to our work if we do a "good job" at work but our heart is filled with discontent, envy, judgment and we're not in relationship with God while we're at work, we will be miserable in our job and will not prosper, here's another piece of bad news: good intentions are worthless, saying "I'm trying" or "I'll try to do better" if worth than doing nothing at all, let me be transparent with an example of this: I recently started carrying a small NT/Psalms Bible from the Gideons with me to work, I just realized and am ashamed to admit that I've been doing this for weeks and not once have I looked at it, are you now ready for some good news? Let me start with the First Light Devotion from Pastor Brian Biggers sent on July 9 - "I have always loved the twenty first chapter of John. It is the great story of Simon's restoration. It is also God speaking to you and me revealing what He is really like at heart. Perhaps no one in history has blown it with God like Simon. He was Jesus' dearest friend; the one Jesus took with Him everywhere. He was the one that Jesus confided in and looked to most often. As a side note, the fact that God chose a redneck, ignorant, uneducated fisherman to be His best friend brings me great hope! When told of Christ' impending arrest and murder Simon vowed that even if all abandoned Him, he would stick with Him. You know the story. In His greatest hour of need at a mockery of a trial, Simon told all present that He had never met the Man. When pressed about the issue he cursed and swore that he had no idea who Jesus was. Some friend! Far be it from me to look down my nose at the famous fisherman. My loyalty could be questioned at no few times. As often happens when a follower of Christ messes up very badly, Simon went back to his old life at sea assuming that his days in God's inner circle were over after His public failure. What a shock to look up from his nets early one morning and see Jesus standing on the shore! First time he had seen Jesus since he had cursed Him and watched as Jesus turned to gaze at him without speaking. What would He do? What does God do to people that betray Him and abandon Him? When Simon arrived at the shore Jesus invited him to eat breakfast that was prepared on a coal fire. As they sat around the fire not a word was spoken about the downfall. It was never mentioned again. Finally, after eating, Jesus looked at Simon and asked him, "do you love me"? He replied, no doubt with deep humility, "yes Lord, you know I love you". After his response Jesus simply said, "tend my sheep".  This is God. This is how He treats people that mess up. Big time. No revenge. He didn't even ask him if he thought he could do better from now on. With Him the question is never "can you behave". It’s always "do you love me"? He is immediately restored in his relationship with Christ and repositioned as the chief preacher in God's great movement. Who cannot love a God that forgives that freely and never gives up on His plans for you? How about you? Have you missed it with Him? Blown it big time? Here's the message of the Bible. If you're not dead, God's not done!

Father, I would have given up on me a long time ago. Your mercy makes no sense. Thank God!

Now I want to borrow from the message I heard from Pastor Adam Cook this morning about freedom, Adam and Eve were naked, content and connected, this was God's will all of use, by comparison now all who sin are marked by shame, striving and separation.  Think about that for a moment, how those 3 things describe aspects of your life, I don't have to think hard to think about how they apply to mine, think specifically about your work, shame shows up in awareness of the mistakes we make at work, not measuring up to our co-workers or to standards set by ourselves or our boss or both,, striving shows upo in feeling like we're working hard, seeing our work as boring or drudgery, being a perfectionist being prideful of of our work which only brings us misery as we judge others we see as not measuring up to our standards, separation shows up at work when when we feel lonely at work, disconnected from others and from God, waiting for church on Sunday to feel spiritual but otherwise feeling like we're just blending with the world while we're at work, working for the dollar or working for the weekend,, buy heart of Jesus in John 8:34-36 Jesus says "34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.", 1 Corinthians 32:17 NIV says "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom", Galatians 5:1 NIV says "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."  We just celebrated Independence Day in the U.S., in America value highly our freedom, you could say we worship it, when it comes to politics both sides have their own version of what freedom means, I'm realizing more and more that freedom by worldly standards is not true freedom, I like the definition of spiritual freedom that my Pastor Adam gave "the unhindered experience of the presence of God".  The curse that came from sin giving us shame, striving, and separation is reversed by Jesus if we walk in it. We can walk in the cool of the day with Jesus, as my Pastort said, it's like God is saying to us you can swing and miss but you can’t fail because you’re free in me, that is the abundant life that only comes from surrendering our lives to Jesus not just when we're born again but in our daily walk at work and everywhere else

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Grant Smith update

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1 Thess 4:11-12 NIV "11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."

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9) Pray (before, during and after meeting)

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